AKI: Bereaved Parents Insist Children Died From Tainted Cough Syrups and Not Contaminated Water

By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT

Bereaved parents of Acute Kidney Injuries (AKI) submitted a position paper before the National Assembly’s select committee on Health, Disaster, Humanitarian Relief, and Refugees on 9th November 2022 debunking a statement from the Medicine Control Agency (MCA) claiming that AKI victims died due to contaminated water.

It can be recalled that on Monday 31st October 2022, the MCA held a press conference at its headquarters claiming that some children did not die as a result of AKI rather they died as a result of consuming contaminated water and floods.

Meanwhile, the WHO announces that over 69 Gambian children have died as a result of tainted cough syrup produced by the Indian Company, Maiden Pharmaceuticals. This has resulted in the National Assembly Health Committee investigating the death of innocent children. 

According to the National Assembly scheduled the AKI investigation report is to be tabled on 20th December before the Plenary.

“Our children died not because of the floods or contaminated water. Rather they died and got sick from taking tainted cough syrups,” the position paper highlight.

The position paper dated 3rd November 2022 is signed by the Chairperson of the AKI victims, Ebrima Sagnia. The family of the victims demands justice for the innocent children who died and urge the government to hold those found liable to account. 

Similarly, The Gambia Bar Association (GBA) and the Female Lawyers Association of The Gambia (FLAG) issued a statement on 10th October 2022 calling on the Government “to take its responsibility as [the] primary protector of the citizenry to investigate this tragic incident and thereafter take steps to ensure appropriate measures are taken to hold those responsible accountable”.

AKI Kidney Injury Kills Three More Children, Totaling Sixty-Nine Dead

On Saturday 08th October 2022, the Minister of Health Dr. Ahmadou Lamin Samateh a press conference at its headquarters, announcing that three more children have died as a result of AKI, bringing the death toll up from 66 children to 69 innocent lives.

It all started when the Ministry of Health (MoH) published a situation report on Wednesday 10th August 2022 confirming that AKI has claimed the lives of 28 children out of 35 patients, all below the age of 5 years. At that stage, samples were sent to Senegal for testing and eventual analysis.

“The total number of patients who have AKI as we speak is eighty-one (81) and on receiving the mortality figures from Senegal as well, where some of the patients were taken to, we now have a total mortality of sixty-nine (69),” Minister Samateh reveals.

Meanwhile, a few hours before the MoH press conference, President Adama Barrow issued a press release authorizing the MCA and MoH to “suspend the license of the suspected pharmacy and importer” and further command the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mamadou FM Tangara “to reach out to the Indian Ambassador to The Gambia for consultation on his government’s most profound concern over the issue [AKI outbreak]”.

While President Barrow consoled with AKI family of victims visually, he promise to “assigned a high-powered delegation to meet the families affected”. However, the Chairperson of the victims, Mr. Sagnia stressed that “until now neither the President nor the Minister [has] called victims to a meeting to speak to [them] and console them”.

Police Reveals Over Fifty Thousand Bottles of Contaminated Baby Syrup Found

Meanwhile, following the outbreak of the AKI the Gambia Police Force (GPF) launched an investigation into the unfortunate death of innocent Gambian children. 

According to the police preliminary report published on 11th October 2022, it reveals that “a combined of 50, 000 bottles of contaminated baby syrups” was found at the Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Company Limited during their investigations.

“It is established that from the aforesaid sum of 50,000 bottles of contaminated baby syrups, 41, 462 bottles have been quarantined/seized by MCA, and 8, 538 bottles remained unaccounted for,” the Police report highlights.